ture of white, scarlet
and blue, they made a brilliant show of color, and gave a curious
suggestion of so many tricolored flags set up along the path; but they
added to the general gayety of the scene, and they themselves thought
Miss Josephine's wedding surely as grand as the queen's.

There were five bridesmaids, including little Fina, whom kindly
Josephine had specially desired should bear her part in the pageant
which was to give her a mother and a friend. The remaining four
were the two Misses Harrowby, Adelaide Birkett, as her long-time
confidante, and that other step-daughter, more legitimate if less
satisfactory than Fina--Leam.

The first three of these four elder maids came naturally and of
course: the last was the difficulty. When first asked, Learn had
refused positively--for her quite vehemently--to have hand or part in
the wedding. It brought back too vividly the sin and the sorrow of the
former time; and she despised her father's inconstancy of heart too
much to care to assist at a service which was to her the service of
folly and wickedness in one.

She said, "No, no: I will not come. I, bridesmaid at papa's wedding!
bridesmaid to his third wife! No, I will not!" And she said it with
an insistance, an emphasis, that seemed immovable, and all the more so
because it was natural.

But Josephine pleaded with her so warmly--she was evidently so much in
earnest in her wish, she meant to be so good and kind to the girl,
to lift her from the shadows and place her in the sunshine of
happiness--that Leam was at last touched deeply enough to give way.
She had come now to recognize that fidelity to be faithful need not
be churlish; and perhaps she was influenced by Josephine's final
argument. For when she had said "No, I cannot come to the wedding,"
for about the fourth time, Josephine shot her last bolt in these
words: "Oh, dear Leam, do come. I am sure Edgar will be hurt and
displeased if you are not one of my bridesmaids. He will think you do
not like the connection, and you know what a proud man he is: he will
be so vexed with me."

On which Leam said gravely, "I would not like to hurt or displease
Major Harrowby; and I do not like or dislike the connection;" adding,
after a pause, and putting on her little royal manner, "I will come."

Josephine's honest heart swelled with the humble gratitude of the
self-abased. "Good Leam! dear girl!" she cried, kissing her with
tearful eyes and wet lips--poor Learn!